With the ongoing pandemic, ‘virtual’ has become the new normal. While you can not dance hand in hand with your loved ones this year, you can certainly host a virtual event to create different yet wholesome moments for your people.
The 15 virtual holiday ideas listed here will ensure you enjoy a fun time with your colleagues, friends, and family.
Due to the ongoing pandemic that the world has fallen prey to, physical interactions have become scarce. Friends and families do not have get-togethers anymore because of the threat social gatherings possess. You don’t get to meet your colleagues or grab a coffee with them from Starbucks every other day.
Needless to say, this pandemic has reshaped social interactions like never before. And as such, celebrations such as Christmas and New Year won’t be the same.
Amidst all this, it is actually more important to celebrate festive seasons with your loved ones – albeit a little differently.
Sure, you can’t go to your friend’s place and dance like there’s no tomorrow. Nor can you meet up with your colleagues and tell them the juiciest workplace gossip.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t spend time with the people you care about. With much of our lives being a virtual experience these days, why not bring the party there, too?
A virtual holiday party allows you to create lasting memories online. It’s new and different, but it also lets you enjoy your time with your loved ones without having to risk anyone’s safety.
If you’re out of ideas as to how you can arrange a virtual holiday party, fret not. We have come up with 15 different holiday ideas that will ensure you have a great time with your people without compromising on the fun.
With a little preparation and a splurge of creativity and imagination, you can host a fantastic virtual holiday party that will be remembered. Without further ado, let’s dive into the greatest virtual holiday party ideas.
15 virtual holiday ideas for you to enjoy
1. Throw a cookie decoration contest
Everyone loves baking cookies just as much as they love gorging on those delicious bites. Hence, throwing a cookie decoration contest is a brilliant way to start your virtual holiday.
You can arrange this event with your friends, family, or even colleagues. With everyone’s creative flair in question, this mouth-watering event will be a fantastic ice-breaker.
All you need to do is set up a time and date for your virtual party and ask your friends to be there on Zoom. Ask them to be as imaginative as possible while decorating their baked cookies.
Ask one person, maybe the one friend you think is the most unbiased, to be the judge of the contest. Whoever wins gets all the cookies delivered to their house the next day.
2. Watch a movie together
Using Zoom or Discord, you can share your screen and watch a movie together on Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney Plus, Hulu, and other streaming services.
Set up a time and date and select a movie you all can watch. Ask everyone what their preferred genre is, and decide on the most popular one.
We’d personally recommend selecting a horror movie. The jump scares in horror movies will make your party a lot more fun and interesting.
Do not forget to grab a box of popcorn with a couple of candy canes!
3. Host a movie guessing game
If you have heard of Dumb Charades, you’d know how a movie guessing game plays out. Of course, the virtual method will be slightly different.
First, select two moderators amongst your friends or colleagues. They will be responsible for generating popular movie names. The rest of the guests will be divided into groups of two or three, depending on the number of people.
Each team will take its turn and select one representative. The moderators will send a text message to that individual with the name of a movie, such as Titanic or Shawshank Redemption.
That individual will then act out scenes from the given movie so that his teammates can guess the name.
Remember to ask everyone to turn on their webcam during the entire game. That way, no one will be able to cheat. Capture screenshots of the highlights and track how much time each team takes.
The team that makes the highest correct guesses within the least amount of time takes the trophy home.
4. Arrange a talent hunt
The year is almost coming to an end, and despite everything, it should be filled with joy and laughter. It’s important, now more than ever, to celebrate the good things life has to offer.
As such, make the most of your time with your friends, family, and colleagues by hosting a talent hunt.
Arrange a video call and ask every individual to showcase their talents. Everyone has to perform, and it can be anything ranging from singing, beat-boxing, painting, to stand-up comedy, playing the violin, or dancing.
Appreciating the people around you while also having fun is what matters the most in this event.
5. Initiate a home decoration contest
Staying at home all day or working from home can be pretty monotonous. To tackle the monotony and spice up your surroundings, try out home decoration.
It is a really fun activity you can try out with your friends and colleagues.
Take a day off and host a battle amongst yourselves and decorate your room, reading table, desk chair, or even the wall in front of your webcam. You can even select particular colors or themes if you want to.
Next, capture an aesthetic picture of your decoration and share it among yourselves. The winner will be selected through votes of the majority and awarded a box full of chocolates.
6. Send indulgence boxes or surprise gifts
One of the most wholesome ideas is sending your family or friends a surprise gift box before you host your virtual party. The gifts do not have to be expensive or make a hole in your pocket.
It’s the thought that matters, and receiving gifts from your loved ones during this difficult time is just heart-warming.
All you need to do is tell people to be there for a video call at a set date and time. Send your gift boxes right before your virtual party and ask everyone not to open those until the party starts.
Receiving gifts is fun in itself, and opening those with your loved ones is as wholesome as it gets.
Here are some suggestions as to what you can send in your gift box:
- Chocolates, cookies, brownies, and candy sticks
- Personalized mugs
- Hot cocoa mix
- Bracelets, headbands, caps, and sunglasses
- Customized notebooks
- Themed bookmarks
- Personalized stationery
Don’t forget to add a personalized note with every gift, addressing each person by name. This simple gesture can make a world of difference.
7. Arrange a personalized trivia
Whether it’s a physical party or a virtual meetup, trivia is a winner at each and every party.
Form a list of 30-40 questions. Jot down anything that comes to your mind from songs, movies, TV series, and even about yourselves. For instance, ‘What does person X do after watching a horror movie?’
Make sure you track the time each person takes to answer these questions. The one with the highest number of correct answers within the least amount of time will be declared as the winner.
8. Play a drawing and guessing game
When are drawing games NOT fun? Drawing and guessing is practically a timeless favorite, so incorporating it into your virtual party would make your event all the more fun and interesting.
The best way to virtually play drawing and guessing with your friends virtually is through Skribbl, a free online multiplayer game.
Every game consists of a few rounds, and you can customize the number of rounds. Each player will have to draw the word they chose from the three options provided to them.
The fastest person to guess the correct word scores the highest. At the end of the game, the individual with the most points is crowned as the winner.
9. Throw a painting challenge
At a time when everyone is bored sitting at home, there is nothing more fun than getting your hands dirty. Let all your guests explore and express their artistic flair.
First, ask your friends and colleagues to get a painting kit. It doesn’t have to be a fancy kit. All you need is a couple of paint colors and a canvas.
You can select a theme and then instruct everyone to paint the first thing that comes to their mind related to the theme.
10. Arrange a storytelling session
A storytelling session is not only fun but also meaningful. Ask all your guests to tell a story about themselves.
Make sure you stress that these stories should either be funny or light-hearted, not sad or tragic.
This activity is one of the most interactive ones out there, and it allows you to know each other better, making your virtual holiday party engaging and wholesome for everyone.
11. Host a virtual hot chocolate tasting party
Add a tint of taste to your virtual party by hosting a hot chocolate tasting event.
For this party, you are to try out two to three different kinds of hot chocolates with your friends. Select different flavors for each hot chocolate, such as hazelnut, white chocolate, dark chocolate, caramel, vanilla, peppermint, or spicy hot.
Send out the best recipes you get to your guests. Make sure everyone has their camera on during the tasting session.
12. Throw an origami challenge
Who doesn’t love making crafts with paper? All you need to do is ask your guests to grab a couple of A4-size papers.
Next, play a few origami tutorials on YouTube and watch them together during your virtual party. You can make origami planes, boats, butterflies, flowers, etc.
Once everyone is done, showcase your creations and let your friends and family share what they have made.
13. Host an ugly sweater party
Showcasing ugly sweaters are as fun as they get.
Challenge all your guests to bring out their worst seasonal sweaters, and watch the sheer entertainment that follows while everyone looks at one another with those sweaters on.
Set a few titles and award your guests accordingly for the most creative sweater, the funniest sweater, and the ugliest sweater among the bunch.
14. Arrange a secret Santa exchange
Everyone loves presents, and as such, arranging a secret Santa will be the most exciting game for your virtual holiday party. All you need to do is ask all your guests, including yourself, to play secret Santa.
During the virtual party, each guest will be required to open their presents and guess who sent them what.
15. Have a virtual dance party
Regardless of whether the party is virtual or physical, no party is ever a ‘party’ without dancing.
It doesn’t even matter whether or not you know how to dance. Just play a song with the right beats and go wild with your friends in your virtual party.
After all, what matters is enjoying yourself.
Final Thoughts
Virtual holiday parties might be unconventional, but they have a style of their own.
Laughing with your friends while someone’s Zoom screen freezes while he has the most awkward face on or capturing a screenshot when your colleague’s kid jumps in front of the webcam without knowing what’s going on – all of these create wholesome memories.
So, why wait up? With so many different ideas, you’re sure to host the best virtual party of the year. Go get started!
Andy is a technology & marketing leader who has delivered award-winning and world-first experiences.